2 Samuel 15

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 After this, Absalom procured a chariot and horses, with fifty men to run ahead of him.	1 Then, after these things, Absalom obtained for himself chariots, and horsemen, and fifty men who went before him.
2 He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate; and whenever a man withsome lawsuit had to come before the king's tribunal, Absalom would cal out to him and ask, 'Which town are youfrom?' If he answered, 'Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,'	2 And rising up in the morning, Absalom was standing beside the entrance of the gate. And when there was any man who had a dispute that might go before the king’s judgment, Absalom would call him to him, and would say, “Which city are you from?” And responding, he would say, “I am your servant, from a certain tribe of Israel.”
3 then Absalom would say, 'Look, your case is sound and just, but not one of the king's deputies willisten to you.'	3 And Absalom would answer him: “Your words seem good and just to me. But there is no one appointed by the king to hear you.” And Absalom would say:
4 Absalom would say, 'Oh, who will appoint me judge in the land? Then anyone with a lawsuit or a pleacould come to me and I should see he had justice!'	4 “Who may appoint me judge over the land, so that all those who have a dispute might come to me, and I might judge justly.”
5 And whenever anyone came up to him to prostrate himself, he would stretch out his hand, draw him tohim and kiss him.	5 Then too, when a man would draw near to him, so that he might greet him, he would extend his hand, and taking hold of him, he would kiss him.
6 Absalom acted like this with every Israelite who appealed to the king's tribunal, and so Absalom wonthe Israelites' hearts.	6 And he was doing this to all those of Israel arriving for judgment to be heard by the king. And he solicited the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 When four years had gone by, Absalom said to the king, 'Al ow me to go to Hebron and fulfil the vowwhich I have made to Yahweh;	7 Then, after forty years, Absalom said to king David: “I should go and pay my vows, which I have vowed to the Lord at Hebron.
8 for, when I was in Geshur, in Aram, your servant made this vow, "If Yahweh brings me back toJerusalem, I shal pay my devotions to Yahweh in Hebron." '	8 For your servant made a vow, when he was in Geshur of Syria, saying: If the Lord will lead me back to Jerusalem, I will sacrifice to the Lord.”
9 The king said to him, 'Go in peace.' So he set off and went to Hebron.	9 And king David said to him, “Go in peace.” And he rose up and went away to Hebron.
10 Absalom sent couriers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, 'When you hear the trumpet sound, you are to say, "Absalom is king at Hebron!" '	10 They Absalom sent scouts into all the tribes of Israel, saying: “As soon as you hear the blare of the trumpet, say: ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron.’ ”
11 With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem; they had been invited and had gone in alinnocence, unaware of what was going on.	11 Now having been called, two hundred men from Jerusalem went forth with Absalom, going in simplicity of heart and being entirely ignorant of the plan.
12 Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from Giloh his town, and had him withhim while offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy grew in strength, since Absalom's supporters grew in number.	12 Absalom also summoned Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counselor of David, from his city, Giloh. And when he was immolating victims, a very strong oath was sworn, and the people, hurrying together, joined with Absalom.
13 A messenger came and told David, 'The men of Israel have shifted their allegiance to Absalom.'	13 Then a messenger went to David, saying, “With their whole heart, all of Israel is following Absalom.”
14 David said to al his retinue then with him in Jerusalem, 'Up, let us flee, or we shal not escape fromAbsalom! Leave as quickly as you can, in case he mounts a sudden attack, overcomes us and puts the city tothe sword.'	14 And David said to his servants, who were with him in Jerusalem: “Rise up, let us flee! For otherwise there will be no escape for us from the face of Absalom. Hurry to depart, lest perhaps, upon arriving, he may seize us, and force ruin upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
15 The king's retinue replied, 'Whatever my lord the king decides, we are at your service.'	15 And the servants of the king said to him, “Everything whatsoever that our lord the king will command, we your servants shall carry out willingly.”
16 The king set out on foot with his whole household, leaving ten concubines to look after the palace.	16 Therefore, the king departed, with his entire household on foot. And the king left behind ten women of the concubines to care for the house.
17 The king set out on foot with everyone fol owing, and they halted at the last house.	17 And having gone forth on foot, the king and all of Israel stood at a distance from the house.
18 Al his officers stood at his side. All the Cherethites and all the Pelethites, with Ittai and all the sixhundred Gittites who had come in his retinue from Gath, marched past the king.	18 And all his servants were walking beside him. And the legions of the Cerethites and Phelethites, and all the Gittites, powerful fighters, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath on foot, were preceding the king.
19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, 'You, why are you coming with us? Go back and stay with the king,for you are a foreigner, indeed an exile from your homeland.	19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite: “Why do you come with us? Return and live with the king. For you are a stranger, and you departed from your own place.
20 You arrived only yesterday; should I take you wandering with us today, when I do not know myselfwhere I am going? Go back, take your fellow countrymen with you, and may Yahweh show you mercy andfaithful love!'	20 You arrived yesterday. And today should you be compelled to go away with us? For I should go to the place where I am going. But you should return, and lead your own brothers back with you. And the Lord will show mercy and truth to you, because you have shown grace and faith.”
21 Ittai replied to the king, 'As Yahweh lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the kingmay be, for death or life, your servant wil be there too.'	21 And Ittai responded to the king, by saying, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, in whatever place you will be, my lord the king, whether in death or in life, your servant will be there.”
22 David then said to Ittai, 'Go ahead, march past!' And Ittai of Gath marched past with al his men andwith all his children too.	22 And David said to Ittai, “Come, and pass over.” And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all the men who were with him, and the rest of the multitude.
23 The entire population was weeping aloud as the king stood in the bed of the Kidron and everyonemarched past him, making for the desert.	23 And they all wept with a great voice, and all the people passed over. The king also passed over the torrent Kidron. And all the people advanced opposite the way which looks out toward the desert.
24 Zadok was there too, and al the Levites with him, carrying the ark of God. They set the ark of Goddown beside Abiathar until everyone had finished marching out of the town.	24 Now Zadok the priest also went, and all the Levites went with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God. And Abiathar went up, until all the people who had departed from the city had gone by.
25 The king then said to Zadok, 'Take the ark of God back into the city. Should I win Yahweh's favour,he wil bring me back and al ow me to see it and its tent once more.	25 And the king said to Zadok: “Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find grace in the sight of the Lord, he will lead me back. And he will show it to me in his tabernacle.
26 But should he say, "You displease me," here I am: let him treat me as he sees fit.'	26 But if he will say to me, ‘You are not pleasing,’ I am ready. Let him do whatever is good in his own sight.”
27 The king said to Zadok the priest, 'Look, you and Abiathar go back quietly into the city, with your twosons, your own son Ahimaaz and Jonathan son of Abiathar.	27 And the king said to Zadok the priest: “O seer, return into the city in peace. And let your son Ahimaaz, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, your two sons, be with you.
28 You see, I shall wait in the passes of the desert plain until word comes from you bringing me news.'	28 Behold, I will hide in the plains of the desert, until word from you may arrive to inform me.”
29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.	29 Therefore, Zadok and Abiathar carried back the ark of God into Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30 David then made his way up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, his head covered and his feetbare. And al the people with him had their heads covered and made their way up, weeping as they went.	30 But David ascended to the Mount of Olives, climbing and weeping, advancing with bare feet and with his head covered. Moreover, all the people who were with him ascended, weeping with their heads covered.
31 David was then informed that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom. David said, 'Ibeg you, Yahweh, turn Ahithophel's advice to fol y.'	31 Then it was reported to David that Ahithophel also had joined in swearing with Absalom. And David said, “ O Lord, I beg you, to uncover the foolishness of the counsel of Ahithophel.”
32 As David reached the summit, where God is worshipped, he saw Hushai the Archite, his friend,coming to meet him with his tunic torn and with earth on his head.	32 And when David had ascended to the summit of the mountain, where he was going to adore the Lord, behold Hushai the Archite met him, with his garment torn and his head covered with soil.
33 David said, 'If you go along with me, you wil be a burden to me.	33 And David said to him: “If you come with me, you will be a burden to me.
34 But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, "I am at your service, my lord king; once I was inyour father's service, but now I shal serve you," you wil be able to thwart Ahithophel's advice for me.	34 But if you return to the city, and you say to Absalom, ‘I am your servant, O king; just as I have been the servant of your father, so too will I be your servant,’ you will destroy the counsel of Ahithophel
35 Surely the priests Zadok and Abiathar wil be with you? Anything you hear from the palace you mustreport to the priests Zadok and Abiathar.	35 And you have with you the priests Zadok and Abiathar. And any word whatsoever that you will hear from the house of the king, you shall reveal it to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests.
36 You see, their two sons are there with them, Zadok's son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar's son Jonathan;through these, you will send me word of everything you hear.'	36 Now with them are their two sons Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar. And you shall send to me by them every word that you will have heard.”
37 Hushai, David's friend, entered the city just as Absalom was reaching Jerusalem.	37 Therefore, Hushai, the friend of David, went into the city. And Absalom also entered into Jerusalem.